I did it. I’ve jumped on the hippie quinoa bandwagon. This shit’s actually good. It may look like hairy couscous but it tastes nice and has a great texture. It helps too that it’s dead simple to cook.
I wanted to make a salad of sorts, being inspired by my friend Ally’s quinoa salad (and more recently, some crispy quinoa cakes with Sriracha mayo–Yes, please)–but I took a little bit of a different approach….a south of the border approach, I suppose.
First off, I just cooked the hairy couscous according to the package’s directions. I realize you can use stock or whatever, but I’m going to drench the stuff in dressing so I just cooked it in plain old water.
I also thought it would be lovely to have some roasty jalapeño flavor in there. I only used one, as I was taking this to a party, but for my own taste I probably would’ve used two. Yummy. Just go ahead and roast them right on top of the gas flame. It’s easy. Use tongs to turn them over if you are a chicken. If you are brave, just grab the little stem. Let them go black all over.
Put the pepper(s) in a bowl and put a plate on top. Leave them there so the peppers steam and the skins peel off easily. You can seed them as you choose. I seeded mine. Then chop them up in wee tiny pieces.
I also chopped the rest of the ingredients I wanted in there (but failed to photograph it)–red and yellow bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, avocado. I also rinsed a can of black beans. I probably would’ve used tomato if they were in season.
While the quinoa is doing it’s absorbing thing, whisk up the dressing. It is a basic vinaigrette, using the juice of a lemon and a lime and a little cumin for flavor. I used a neutral oil like grape seed so I could taste the citrus and spice. When the quinoa is still a little warm, add the dressing so it absorbs a little bit of it.
Once the quinoa is cool, add the vegetables and taste for seasoning. You might need more salt and pepper and a squeeze more lime or lemon but that’s up to you. I think this would be a swell dinner with a handful of tortilla chips and a beer, or a side dish for a picnic or outdoor party.
Ingredients
- For Salad:
- 1 box quinoa, prepared according to package directions
- 1-2 jalapeños
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, minced
- 2 avocados, cut into cubes
- 1 bunch cilantro
- For Dressing:
- 3/4 cup grape seed or other neutral oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 lime
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt, pepper
Instructions
- Roast jalapeños over gas flame or under broiler until the skins are completely black. Place them in a bowl and put a plate on top to steam them. After 10 minutes or so, peel the blackened skins off.
- Seed, devein and mince the jalapeños, set aside.
- Whisk together the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
- Pour dressing onto still warm quinoa. Pour into a salad bowl and let cool.
- Add all chopped salad ingredients, including roasted jalapeños.
- Taste again for seasoning, adding salt, pepper or lemon or lime as needed.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }